The Mk5 VW Golf GTI casting is one of my favorite Matchbox models of all time, so I’m stoked to see this Mk8 Golf GTE debut as the perfect purple successor to my beloved Mk5. Add in my affinity for hot hatches, and this seems to be the perfect Matchbox model for me. So, how’d Matchbox do?
Immediately, I was struck by this paint color: it’s incredibly eye-catching, with lots of sparkly metal flakes and a shade that’s somewhere between purple and pink. For whatever reason, diecast manufacturers always seem afraid their hot hatch models will be too boring in normal colors…I disagree, but if the manufacturers are going to insist on making them more attention-grabbing, I much prefer Matchbox’s approach of giving them a cool paint color with realistic front and rear detailing to Hot Wheels’ strategy of omitting those details in favor of gaudy side graphics. As far as I’m aware, this color isn’t actually available on the Golf GTE, but it does feel reminiscent of the purple release of the Mk5 GTI.
Speaking of that Mk5 GTI, it provides a useful point of comparison for the new model. Viewed side-by-side, it’s clear that the new Mk8 is a slightly smaller scale than the old model, which I actually think makes it more accurate relative to the rest of the Matchbox lineup. The Mk5 GTI was always a bit on the big side – not offensively so, but the new Mk8 feels more “correct”. I like the lower roofline and especially the lower ride height. The only downside of the new Mk8’s smaller scale is that it will likely be limited to these smaller six-spoke wheels that don’t look quite as sporty as the wheels on the Mk5 GTI.
If the smaller wheels are what it takes to get this aggressive ride height, I’ll take it! The front of this casting is great looking, with lots of detail in the grille and the Mk8’s distinctive hexagonal fog light clusters present and accounted for. The printing for the headlights and badging is incredibly sharp too, some of the best I’ve seen on a mainline, with even the GTE badge easily readable. There is one thing on the front of this casting that bothers me though: the odd notch on the hood right above the VW badge. That bodyline doesn’t exist on the real car, but I’ve seen it on other copies of this casting online, so it doesn’t seem to be a flaw with my particular example. I hope they revise this casting to fix that bodyline for future releases of the GTE.
All the bodylines on the side of the casting look great though. It’s clear that this is a brand new casting, as all the lines are crisp and sharp, especially the door for the charger on the front fender. I continue to be impressed by Matchbox’s ability to curve their printed detailing around onto the sides of the car, as both the headlights and brake lights wrap all the way onto the sides of the GTE, making this model look like it received printing on four sides rather than just two.
I love how the VW badge at the back sticks out from the bodywork – it makes the badge pop out and look far more realistic than if it was just printed on the flat hatch. The brake lights look good, though they aren’t nearly as detailed as the headlights, and I love the little spoiler on the rear hatch. Unfortunately, the purple paint color makes the interior support post clearly visible through the rear window, but that’s unavoidable with modern Matchbox castings.
Overall, Matchbox did a great job on this model, making it a worthy successor to one of my favorite castings of all time. While I obviously would have preferred for Matchbox to make a model of the Golf R or GTI rather than the GTE, I understand that Matchbox wants their brand to be more EV-focused to match the trends of the auto industry overall. As far as EVs go, I’m far happier to have this GTE in the lineup than the growing mass of similar looking EV crossovers. Luckily, the Mk8 GTE and GTI look almost identical from a styling perspective, so barring some red striping and a couple E’s turned into I’s, this model might as well be a GTI. Diecast cars have no drivetrain, so in my head this model is making turbo noises and DSG pops, and that’s just fine with me…
diecastleno.com 
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